1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to optical molding apparatuses and optical molding methods, and particularly, to an optical molding apparatus and an optical molding method that can mold a higher-precision three-dimensional model.
2. Description of the Related Art
An optical molding apparatus optically molds a three-dimensional model by stacking cured layers one of top of the other. Specifically, each of these cured layers is formed by emitting light according to one of cross-sectional-shape data items that corresponds to that cured layer onto a surface of photo-curable resin. These cross-sectional-shape data items are obtained by cross-sectionally slicing the three-dimensional model into three-dimensional segments with a predetermined thickness in the stacking direction.
In optical molding, the presence of small uncured or semi-cured photo-curable resin (to be described later in detail) in the order of micrometers, which is within a permissible error range in related art, becomes non-negligible as the three-dimensional model becomes more detailed.
In order to improve the precision of a three-dimensional model, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication Nos. 2007-291393 and 2007-76090, for example, suggest removal of uncured photo-curable resin remaining on the surface of a molded three-dimensional model. The term “uncured photo-curable resin” refers to photo-curable resin having undergone exposure, which is not semi-cured but may possibly become semi-cured.